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BOXING; 2 Fighters Share Mutual Respect

Here was a news conference before a major heavyweight bout and everyone was so civil, it might have been mistaken for a lawn party.

Really, what did Hasim (the Rock) Rahman and Evander (the Real Deal) Holyfield, these two big-time bruisers, think they were doing, anyway? And it was a Don King Promotions affair, billed as ''the Royal Comeback,'' to boot.

The two former heavyweight champions spoke at the news conference yesterday at the Bally Park Place Casino and Hotel ballyhooing their 12-round nontitle fight on Saturday at Boardwalk Hall.

''What I like about this promotion,'' said Holyfield, the only four-time heavyweight champion, making a nod on the podium toward Rahman, seated nearby, ''is that we're not here to hate each other.

''We both have the same goals, to display our athleticism and perform to the best, and try to win to get a shot at the championship.''

And Rahman, for his part, imparted similar lollipop sentiments. ''I have nothing but respect for Mr. Holyfield,'' Rahman said. ''It will be an exciting fight from Round 1. There will be two guys in there with big hearts and fans are bound to see a good fight.

''Everybody asks: 'Why are you fighting him? He's too old.' Well, before I put on gloves I'd heard people saying he's too old. And he beats Riddick Bowe to win the championship, and he beats Mike Tyson and knocks out Michael Moorer in title fights. Every time they say he can't do it, he does it. I appreciate it if everybody says he's going to do it.''

That comment drew laughs from those on the dais and those in the spectator seats. Holyfield sat stone faced. Holyfield, at 39, who won his first heavyweight title in 1990, is 10 years older than Rahman. (In Holyfield's last fight, last December, he sought to regain the World Boxing Association heavyweight title from John Ruiz but fought Ruiz to a draw, which allowed the champion to retain the title.)

Then Rahman addressed the essence of the fight, the elimination of either him or Holyfield for the next possible shot at the heavyweight title held by Lennox Lewis, but to be challenged by Mike Tyson on June 8 in Memphis.

''If one of us wins decisively, I think they can't deny us a title shot,'' Rahman said. ''If it's a close decision, or a whitewash, I guess we'd have to do it over again.''

Last November, Rahman surrendered the undisputed world title to Lewis in a fourth-round knockout. The previous April, he won the title when he shocked the world with a knockout of Lewis in the fifth round.

Rahman admitted that the Holyfield fight was important for him. ''It's a must fight,'' he said.

He said that if he couldn't beat Holyfield: ''I just might get out of the business. I don't want to be an opponent, I want to be the champion again.''

While Rahman disdains talk that he was fighting to conquer the label of being ''a flash in the pan,'' he said: ''You don't win the championship with just one punch. You prepare, you train, you fight good fighters to get the opportunity. You take advantage of the opportunity.''

It was suggested that Rahman had had a taste of the title, and that this was motivation for him. ''That was just an appetizer,'' he said of his title reign of seven months. ''Now I want the main course.''

As for respecting Holyfield, Rahman said: ''It's there to a degree, but I'm not going to fall into that trap. When bombs are thrown at my head, all respect goes out the window. You want to wade in, to take the lead. I want to be the one throwing the bombs.''

Then the two fighters went nose to nose for a staring match for photographers. But there was no hint of true truculence. Then everyone departed, presumably, for a spot of tea.